About the job

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Global Strategy Team within the Strategy, Policy and Programmes Group at the centre of the UK Health Security Agency.

The Strategy Officer will play a key role in the development and strengthening of strategic relationships with key UK and international partners in global health. The post holder will support activities to ensure alignment on global health activity across UKHSA and across UK government, including our relationships with DHSC and FCDO.

You will be part of a focussed and dynamic team. There will be a range of opportunities for learning and development, and you will develop expertise in international engagement, stakeholder management and global health.

As the UK’s health security agency, UKHSA is relentlessly focused on protecting the public from an ever-increasing range of dangers to our health.  The impact of infectious diseases, our changing climate, biological threats, and wider health risks have made us all more aware of how important it is to feel health secure.

Location

This role is based at the UKHSA Canary Wharf office, 10 South Colonnade, London, E14 5EA

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) operates a hybrid working model where business needs allow.  This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's locations (London).  

*Please be aware that this role can only be worked from within the UK and not overseas. Relocation expenses are not available.*

Job description

As a Strategy Officer your main responsibilities will include:

• Utilising political awareness and experience to work strategically with others across the organisation, across government and internationally to collect information, analyse evidence, evaluate options and deliver advice and recommendations to Senior Strategy Advisors and the Head of Global Strategy as well as UKHSA senior leaders.
• Supporting the development and strengthening of relationships with key UK and international partners in global health to deliver strategic outcomes and to identify opportunities to join up the UK public health approach to global health.
• Delivering secretariat functions for UKHSA’s global activity and governance and linking in with other internal and external governance structures as required.
• Supporting the coordination of high-level incoming and outgoing international visits, ensuring visits run smoothly.
• Co-ordinating and drafting briefings, reports and access to information requests, including responding to commissions for high-level briefings from cross-government and Parliamentary Questions.
• Updating and maintaining a knowledge and information hub of UKHSA’s global work, including mapping and reviewing the agency’s global activity.
• Contributing to the overall work and development of the Strategy, Policy and Programmes Group.

The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The Job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary. Please review the job description for a full list of roles and responsibilities.

Person specification

It is important through your application and Statement of Suitability of 1000 words that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the essential criteria (for full details of all essential criteria please refer to the attached job description, you must review this to produce your statement of suitability):

Essential

• Knowledge of key global health issues and global health organisations and their roles
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and written skills with experience of networking and building and maintaining good relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Experience of monitoring progress and evaluating delivery of strategic priorities
• Organizational skills - able to organise, plan, prioritise and navigate conflicting demands and pressures, including balancing longer-term work with responding to tight deadlines
• Able to work effectively as part of a team

Desirable

• Strong understanding of international relations and awareness of international politics
• Project management experience

Benefits

Working for the UKHSA

For more information on the UKHSA please visit: UK Health Security Agency - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
• Range of health and wellbeing support

Any move to UKHSA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at Childcare Choices , 30 Hours Free Childcare, Tax-Free Childcare and More , Help with Costs , GOV.UK

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours.

STAGE 1 - APPLICATION & SIFT: 

You will be required to complete an application form. This will be assessed in line with the full list of essential criteria as detailed in the attached job description – please do provide evidence of how you meet this. 

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to an interview.

STAGE 2 – INTERVIEW 

This post will involve an interview by video. 

As part of the process, candidates will be invited to interview which will involve an in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification.

You will also be asked to provide information within the ‘Employer/ Activity history’ section of the application form. This is equivalent to the information you would provide on a CV, setting out your career history.

The Success Profiles framework will be used to assess and recruit the most suitable candidate.  The following behaviours will be used at the interview:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

Expected Timeline:

Advert close: 23:55hrs on 18th February 2024 – unfortunately, late applications will not be considered. Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Shortlist: w/c 19th February 2024

Interviews: w/c 4th March

Please note these dates could be subject to change. 

Security clearance level requirement

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.  Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Basic Personnel Security Standard.  People working with government assets must complete Basic Personnel Security Standard checks.

For posts on UKHSA Civil Service terms and conditions, new entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. For existing Civil Servants and roles advertised across government, the rules of transfer apply, i.e., level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive a 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest. 

Please Note

This role is to be appointed under Civil Service Terms & Conditions. Full details on the T&C’s are found https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/

Are you already a civil servant, or employed by a Civil Service Commission accredited public body? Please state home department on your application form.

Do you meet the nationality requirements for this post? https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/

Complaint process:

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact UKHSA Public Accountability Unit via email: Complaints1@ukhsa.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website. 

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.